Chinese hackers breached DOJ, NASA and Federal Reserve since 2018

The U.S. disrupted a Chinese hacking campaign targeting the Justice Department, NASA, and the Federal Reserve. Two platforms were seized and a Nanjing-based firm named.

U.S. seizes hacking platforms tied to Chinese firm after breaches at federal agencies

The United States disrupted a Chinese hacking operation that had penetrated the Justice Department, NASA, the Federal Reserve, the Senate, and other sensitive government agencies, officials announced Wednesday. Global News Crime reports that the Justice Department seized domains belonging to two hacking platforms at the centre of the campaign, known as "QScan" and "QTRouter."

A court affidavit identified additional victims including the Department of Energy, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the National Institutes of Health, as well as four unnamed companies in the United States and South Korea.

The Justice Department linked the platforms to a China-based firm, Nanjing Xinjiuwei Network Technology Company. The firm's clients, according to authorities, included China's Ministry of State Security — the country's civilian intelligence agency — and the People's Liberation Army.

The group's infrastructure had been used to compromise critical systems in the United States and worldwide since at least 2018, the affidavit stated.

The Chinese Embassy in Washington did not respond to a request for comment. Beijing routinely denies involvement in hacking operations.

Analysts who track Chinese cyber activity say private contractors regularly carry out intrusions on behalf of government agencies. "Over the last decade, the number of companies offering niche offensive services has exploded," said Dakota Cary, a China analyst with cybersecurity firm SentinelOne.

Reuters said it could not immediately locate contact information for Nanjing Xinjiuwei.

Source: Global News Crime